Lecture Recording Policy

National MA Education (Wales)

National Lecture and Content Recording Policy

1. Background

1. This document sets out the All-Wales Policy on the recording of lectures, group-based learning activities and other content for participating institutions.

1. This policy is informed by and relates to each participating institutions’ local policy, with regard to implementation at a local level, but supersedes any local requirements which are not in line with this National Policy for the specific programme only, to preserve the integrity of the National Programme.

Aberystwyth

Bangor

Cardiff Metropolitan

Glyndwr University

Swansea University

University of South Wales

University of Wales Trinity Saint David

1. All participating institutions have facilities to record video feed(s) and audio feed(s) of delivery (remote and/or in person), and to publish this through each University’s supported virtual learning environment.

1. Additionally, other supported products can be used to make recordings including (but not limited to), Microsoft Teams and Zoom. Zoom can be used to book and conduct webinars and meetings, both of which can be recorded.

1. Where students have a specific identified learning requirement which results in reasonable adjustment (e.g. through formal needs assessment), recording of some learning activities may be undertaken by students themselves using dictaphones, other mobile devices, or on their behalf by the relevant student support services in addition to the methods described within this Policy.

1. Educational benefits to recording learning activities provide a useful resource for students and can be used in the following ways, amongst many others:

• Provide a summary aid for review, reflection and revision;
• Assist students whose first language is not English or Welsh;
• Support students who are unable to attend due to illness or caring responsibilities;
• Assist students who have particular educational needs.

1. This Policy recognises and acknowledges that:

• Not all learning activities are suitable for recording, e.g. where there is use of whiteboards, demonstrations etc. or if a high degree of audience interactivity is used;
• A change to preferred teaching style in a module for the purpose of recording may be detrimental to the student experience;
• Ethical issues, or the use of sensitive material may mean that the recording of a particular session is inappropriate;
• Lecture recording is provided to enrich the student experience; it is not a substitute for attendance and participation. 

• National Policy

• The recording of lectures and other content which does not feature students directly in the National MA Education (Wales) is on an opt-out basis. All staff are expected to engage with and make use of the Lecture and Content Recording Services provided their participating institution.

• The decision not to make a recording in accordance with 2.1 must be agreed by the National Academic Board of Studies to ensure consistency in approach and the communication of a clear strategy to and with students across all participating institutions.

Students should be informed of any decisions not to record sessions, and the reasons for it, prior to the delivery of each session affected. Relevant learning materials should be made available to students in a different format to support their learning. Where learning sessions are not recorded, these should be reported to the National Academic Board of Studies. Feedback from students on the effectiveness of lecture recording should be regularly sought and reflected upon.

• Reasons that lectures or group-based learning activities are not suitable to be recorded include[SY1]   (but are not limited to):

• where the session is delivered in a way that makes recording unsuitable
  • where discussion or activities contain confidential or personal information, or are commercially or politically sensitive,
  • where making a recording would be detrimental to the student experience,
  • where there may be legal, ethical or privacy reasons for not recording,
  • where the facility to record the activity is not available in the learning space.

• Staff delivering the learning activity should inform students that the activity is to be recorded, and that their faces and names may be captured on the recording. Staff should apply discretion and pause or later edit a recording, for example if sensitive material is being taught or if the recording is considered to be interfering with interactive teaching.

• All staff and students are expected to comply with all applicable UK & European copyright legislation. Staff should ensure they have the appropriate copyright clearance for any material covered within the recording. Further advice is available via each institution’s Copyright Policy and guidance:

Aberystwyth

Bangor

Cardiff Metropolitan

Glyndwr University:

Swansea University

University of South Wales:

University of Wales Trinity St David

• Recordings should only be made accessible to those students enrolled on the course unless otherwise agreed by the staff delivering the learning activity.

• To ensure equality of access and management of quality, recordings will be accessed through relevant online platforms, including HWB/PLP, only.

• Any use of a recording other than for a student’s personal use in relation to their studies or any unauthorised distribution, wholly or in part of a recording, will be subject to disciplinary action from the student’s home University.

• Covert recording of any learning activity is not permitted and will be treated as a disciplinary offence.

• Content of Recordings

• Staff making recording should be aware of which audio/video/written sources that are included by default in all recordings. This is important when considering the matters referred to in 2.4 above.

• Recordings can include:
  • the sounds picked up by the microphone; predominantly the lecturer’s voice, but may include other voices and noises
  • material that is shared on screen
  • a video recording of the lecturer and others when they are in the area near the lectern
  • a transcript of the audio

• Zoom/Teams recordings can include:
  • the sounds picked up by the microphone; the lecturer’s voice, and anyone else who speaks in a meeting, as well as other background noises that occur when microphones are unmuted
  • material that is shared on screen
  • a video recording of the lecturer and everyone else who appears on screen
  • a transcript of the audio
  • a transcript of the general chat messages

• All recordings must include closed captions for accessibility purposes.

• Recording and Disability

• Current arrangements for disabled students in relation to learning activity recording will be unaffected by this policy.

• Intellectual Property

• Recordings made using the software are governed by each participating institutions’ current policy on Intellectual Property.

• Data Protection

• If a recording contains footage of individuals, data protection and privacy issues may arise. Images of an individual may be classed as personal data if the individuals can be identified, as such the University will need to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018 (as amended from time to time).

• In order to process personal data, which would include editing, storing and or distributing the video if it contains personal data, consent from the data subject is required. It is therefore important to notify any audience that the lecture will be filmed and make it clear whether they will be filmed. 

• Relevant Privacy Statements on data protection and the rights of subjects are provided on each institution’s website:

Aberystwyth

Bangor

Cardiff Metropolitan

Glyndwr University

Swansea University

University of South Wales:

University of Wales Trinity St David

• Data Retention

• At the end of the Programme for each cohort, recordings will be deleted from relevant systems.  It is the responsibility of content creators to inform the relevant AV Support Team if recordings are to remain available from one academic year to the next.

• If recordings are not to be deleted, consent of identifiable persons in recordings should be obtained.

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 [SY1]It may be worth noting that this list is not exhaustive. Tech failure just on starting a class is not unheard of and whilst the students experience should default to this it may not always be possible.